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Friday, December 14, 2001

By Eve Modzelewski

Space: Legal capacity is 100 people, but Quiet Storm is spacious enough to provide plenty of elbow room, even with a full house.

Vibe: You'd never know this place used to be a seedy bar, plagued by drug deals. Owner Ian Lispky has transformed it into a montage of color, complete with multicolored flooring, vibrant artwork and bright, comfortable furniture. Only the bar remains from the original Quiet Storm Bar and Grille, though it too has been spruced up to fit the venue's new image. Lipsky doesn't have a liquor license, but you can BYOB for a $2 corking fee. Coffee, however, is available for a buck a cup. About six nights a week, bands play on a platform stage in the rear of the coffeehouse. By day, that space is occupied by a selection of kids' toys.

Cover: Always less than $5; sometimes just a request for donation to the band.

Hip Quotient: Because of its location and its selection of bands, Quiet Storm turns out one of the most diverse crowds in Pittsburgh (in terms of race, age and occupation, making it a great place to hang. If you don't mind the occasional blare of a siren from Penn Avenue, you'll dig this place. Plus, Quiet Storm serves up a mean slice of sweet potato pie. Veggie soups and weekend brunch are also on the evolving menu.

Space: 50 is the legal capacity, but there's ample space to lounge.

Vibe: Without a sign out front and with most of its windows concealed by black fabric, Shadow Lounge is easy to miss. If you can manage to spot it behind the East Liberty Presbyterian Church, you'll find it has the feel of someone's apartment. With hand-me-down sofas, vaulted ceilings, art-bedecked walls, mild incense burning, an ample supply of board games and unique coffee-table books, Shadow Lounge offers more than just music. What it doesn't offer is alcohol. The Mr. Coffee machine and a stock of gourmet ginger ales are the main refreshments. The setting is perfect for a jazz jam session, which is exactly what it hosts each Sunday night for its Brother's Peck Satellite Jazz Forum. Shadow Lounge also organizes poetry slams, karaoke, open hip-hop sessions and open-mike nights.

Cover: $3-$5; sometimes no charge.

Hip Quotient: Very welcoming and very cool, though the place isn't widely known. The Sunday jazz performances turn out a decent crowd, but Shadow Lounge is relatively quiet on a typical Friday night (except for smooth hip-hop tunes piped into the sound system). On those slower nights, it's the perfect venue for a game of Scrabble or some good conversation. It has the feel of an artsy, smoky lounge -- except smoking isn't allowed. Visit the open hip-hop sessions for a more upbeat scene.

Space: 120 is maximum capacity

Vibe: Club Cafe has become the premiere small venue in Pittsburgh. With solid acts playing six nights a week, a good munchies menu, a great floor plan and a nice bar, it attracts a big crowd most every night it's open. For the bigger acts, such as members of Rusted Root, the place gets packed, so plan to arrive very early if you want to snag a table.

Cover: $3-$6 for smaller shows; up to $20 for ticketed shows.

Hip Quotient: The layout is what makes it such a great scene. The tables scattered in the middle of the room and booths along the perimeter, make most live performances very interactive. Artists onstage often chat with audience members between sets and mingle with them afterward. The bar is often too crowded, however, and it may be necessary to be aggressive to get a drink. But that's just a symptom of a successful venue.

Space: Fits 75 people.

Vibe: This is one of Pittsburgh's most low-key live music settings. Warsaw Tavern makes no attempt at pretentiousness: The ceilings are made of exposed particleboard and the walls are decked with crooked beer signs. Thursdays, it hosts an open bluegrass session and Saturdays usually feature a live rock group.

Cover: Normally no cover charge; $5 at the most.

Hip Quotient: This is a great alternative to the more trendy venues in town. The stage is simply set up where the pool table normally belongs, and the band plays alongside patrons. The simple concept at Warsaw tavern works: good music, cheap beer and a welcoming crowd.

A young woman finds space to move on the Lava Lounge dance floor. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

Space: 200 people can fit into the coves and crannies.

Vibe: This place, with its unique subterranean decor, has a vibe that changes with its music. On Wednesday nights, when rock bands such as the Motorpsychos take the stage, the place is filled with people bedecked in black leather, chains and tattoos. On Mondays, when Phat Man Dee hosts a variety music show, a more artsy crowd turns out and the Lava Lounge takes on a similar feel. Whether there's a live band or a DJ, two things tend to remain the same: It's loud and the bar is crowded.

Cover: Varies; sometimes no cover

Hip Quotient: Again, the bar can get packed, but this place, with its varying crowds, is a great for people-watching. The pit -- a sunken, circular booth near the stage -- is the most coveted spot in the venue. It's especially ideal for chatting with friends (that is, during breaks in the music). That close to the speakers, it's near impossible to have a conversation during a band's set.

	Eryka Kaltenbock, 19, and Vauhn Hanley, 21, both of Pittsburgh, stay till closing on a Club Laga Goth Night. Now Goth Night is Saturday at the Upstage. (Franka Bruns, Post-Gazette)

Space: Up to 1,500.

Vibe: With its warehouse style setup, Laga provides good, medium-sized venue for concerts. Since it's slightly bigger, it tends to attract national acts, including Nikka Costa who played there last week. The over-21 area has a bar and is sectioned off from the rest of the concert area. The stage is elevated enough to provide good visibility throughout the club, even from the bar area.

Cover: Varies widely; often in the $15 range for better-known acts.

Hip Quotient: Laga pulls off what many other all ages-venues cannot: It provides a decent-size bar area for over-21 patrons who choose to drink, while offering a large floor for the all-ages crowd. The bar includes tables and stools for those who choose to escape the masses and just sit back and take in a show. The design of the club is relatively nondescript, but the quality of the live shows usually compensates.

Kris Forsthoffer, 27, North Versailles, listens to music with Sean Readie, 28, Allison Park, at Rock Jungle. (John Heller, Post-Gazette)

Space: Enough room for 1,000

Vibe: This place is a knockoff of a South Florida nightclub, complete with palm trees and other tropical accents. Perhaps that's why Miami-native Vanilla Ice played there recently. It's a huge place, with plenty of space to mingle, several different bars to choose from, and ample seats available. The crowd is typically younger than Club Cafe and some of the other live music venues.

Cover: $3-$10; sometimes more for ticketed shows.

Hip Quotient: The tropical design at Rock Jungle works better for a dance club than it does for a live music venue. With a band on stage, the tiki look just seems distracting and a bit sterile. Still, Rock Jungle continues to attract bands such as P.O.D. and the Buzz Poets because of its size. It's hosting concerts at least once a month now.

Vibe: The upstairs Memphis Lounge is booking live music Thursday through Saturday and DJs Monday through Wednesday. Memphis has one bar and not a whole lot of room for patrons (much less sitting down) but Zythos (pronounced Zee-thos) is just downstairs and provides a quieter respite from the noise and crowd.

Cover: $3-$6

Hip quotient: Zythos is such a cool bar, with perfect lighting and interesting art on the walls, it makes the upstairs Memphis lounge a great place to stop in for music. Good beer selection and a friendly bar staff are especially appealing. You can count on this place for decent entertainment most nights of the week.

Eve Modzelewski is a freelance writer.